Shrouded urn, an open book, a crushed flower. Rochelle Balkam stands in the midst of the symbolism in Ypsilanti's Highland Cemetery and marvels at the significance. She's comfortable walking the rolling landscape, pointing out a magnificent copper beech tree or noting her admiration of philanthropist Mary Ann Starkweather, who is interred in the cemetery. It's a place where she has reflected on her past, communed with nature and taught lessons on "stories in stone."

Balkam, a history lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, will be the guest speaker at the Sunday meeting of the Ypsilanti Historical Society. She retired three years ago from teaching history full time at Ypsilanti High School and estimates that over the years, she has led thousands of students through the wrought iron gates of the burial grounds.

"Sometimes I had to bring students kicking and screaming, but once they were here I had to practically drag them out," Balkam says. "They were absolutely fascinated."

Former student Angelica Pappas-Richardson recalls the cemetery outing and says it was unforgettable.

"I thought it was kind of cool that we were going (to the cemetery). It was almost like a scavenger hunt; we had to find the graves of the people we had studied in class," says Pappas-Richardson, now a teacher assistant in Romulus. "She was an excellent teacher and really got me interested in history. I remember almost everything I learned in her class because she was enthusiastic about what she was teaching."

Strolling through the cemetery off River Street north of Depot Town, the quiet is only broken by singing birds and Balkam says the solitude is part of the allure. She says while some might think her interest in cemeteries is odd, she believes they are a valuable component of the community.

"You wouldn't think of going to Washington D.C., and not visiting Arlington Cemetery," says Balkam. "Cemeteries should be built into the tourism of a community. Highland is a microcosm of America, what a small community was like at that time."

Highland Cemetery was designed by James Lewis Glenn and dedicated in 1864. It is an example of garden or rural cemetery design that was popular in the United States during the 19th century. Two of the outstanding features of the cemetery include the Starkweather Chapel and the Civil War Soldiers monument, both made possible through contributions from Mary Ann Starkweather. Balkam notes that many of Ypsilanti's early, prominent citizens who lived near one another in life, are, in death, buried in proximity.

She points out details on one of her favorite gravestones, a concrete replica of a tree stump, adorned with mushrooms, sheaves of wheat and the "bark" peeled back to record details about the deceased.

"These are so unique, so different from the typical stone," says Balkam of the marker.

There is plenty for the eye to soak up from towering obelisk to stone watchdogs keeping vigil at their master's graves.

"I love the symbolism, the broken chain link, the weeping willow trees, the handshake of farewell," says Balkam of the etchings on the stones. "There are massive stones that are ostentatious and elegant, to those that are simple field stones with a name carved on the surface."

The Victorian influence of the gravestone styles changed in the last century, and Balkam is a bit melancholy about the shift.

"The changes occurred around the 1950s and my guess is that people wanted to get on with life and not dwell on the past. Our country was focusing on scientific pursuits and not treasuring our history," says Balkam. "I don't think people wanted to think about death."

Balkam wasn't timid when introducing the relevance of cemeteries into her history classes. She says part of the motivation for bringing her students to Highland Cemetery was to promote responsibility.

"It's important to instill civic conviction in young people," says Balkam. "I feel strongly about tying kids to a community so they will take pride in it and will protect and take care of it."

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